THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1551, 21 September 1912, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

(Br Silvius.) The World's a theatre; the Earth a stage.—Heywood. "Nobody's Daughter." After a long wnit, Wellington is to 6do "ppo. Paston's" intensely human play, "Nobody's Daughter," which lias been high in favour in Australia for over a year past. The play is simple, direct, and even hoiueljjin its appeal. It presents the-interesting, if rather delicate, problem of a young and beautiful girl—*nfnnt naturolle—who has been brought up to regard her parents as her "guardians , , each of the latter having married another person. The complication is brought about by the girl's intention to marry the man of her heart. The tense situations which follow her declaration,' and the discovery by tho innocent husband and wife of the old sin are- absorbingly interesting, and very cleverly worked out. "Nobody's Daughter" is also rich in comedy, which is adequately handled by the company. . ■ Messrs. Plimmer and Denniston, who are introducing-the. play, have succeeded, in surrounding themselves with one of the finest comedy companies now in Australia, and have been honoured in Australia in being acknowledged as tho successors of the famed Brough and Boucicault Company. The distinction won is by no means undeserved when the names are ranged in view. It will, for instance, be intensely interesting to playgoers -to see Mr. Geo. S. Titheradge and Mrs. liobt. Brough associated once more in good plays. Both are finished artists in the best of dramatic' schools, and there is even' a certain pleasure in seeing their deportment on the stage, let alone anything else. Amateurs take note! Miss Beatrice Day, of tho velvet voice*? and polished artistry,-is a-member, as is also dainty, winsome Lizette Parkes, whose "Peter Pan" will never grow old in the memory. Miss Tempo Pigott, an admirable character actress, ■ Miss Beatrice Usher, and Miss Ena Collins completes the list of lady members. On the male side there are, besides Mr. Titheradge,. Mr. Harry Plimmer, Mr. Harry Sweeney/ Mr. A. E. Greenaway, Mr. Cyril Bell, and Mr. Dudlev Gilchrist. . ' ■ • •

Such a cast in plays such as "Nobody's Daughter," Oscar Wilde's "A Woman of No.lmportance," and "A Village Priest" should appeal. ' .

! Ofi thewhich .is.tovcommcncp a season.at' tho' Opera Houso on Monday- evening in '■'(isa. •■-PastonV* .charming ■ play, 'Nobody's Daughter.".-'. • . -. .• .•

Stage .'.'Dpn'ts." ..-. Miss Eleanor Henry, who.rose from the chorus in New York, has drawn up a list Of "Don'ts:— ■ " '; ■•.-■• ■ Don't think you are inconspicuous because you happen to be'in the last row. Iho stage-manager knows you are there. Don't regard rehearsals "as hardship. Every rehearsal under a competent director is worth n-hile. Don't fail to sing in the-ensembles, thinking'that your voice will not be missed. : Don't be indifferent as to those scenes in which you do not take part. Learn everything there is in theplay. I was'an understudy for four, different principals, but my chanco came one night when I was ablo to go on for a fifth principal, whose part I was not supposed to know anything about. Don't stay out late. :Nor up late. That is, if you have a voice, or a face, or a talent. Sleep is a great developer of all the things a girl needs in'musical''cbniedy. This isnt preaching. ■ It's'conimon sense. Don't gossip. ' Many times in ten, when a, chorus girl is really bad, she hiisbeen made sp -by the hopelessness of a bad reputation never really earned. Tho fellow who is waiting for the girl may be , her brother, or her affianced, although, more often, ho is simply a plain fool. Oscar Wilde's Monument. The monument which is to be placed over the grave of Oscar Wilde in I'ere Lachaise Cemetery iu Paris was on exlii-' bition last month in the studio! of-the sculptor in. London. It is said to be a curious example of ultra-modern symbolism. In alt relief on a block of Derbyshire limestone appears a figure with square Assyrian wings. The face is' a portrait of Wildo. An Assyrian crown surmounts the head, and bears allegorical figures of Pride, Luxury, and Glory, in low relief. Tho whole effect is bizarre, and yet not inappropriate to the man commemorated. The young sculptor, Jacob Epstein,- is a Pole,-but spent his early life in tho United States.

One of Oscar Wilde's play;, "A Woman of Xo Importance," will be'performed in Wellington by Hie Plimmer-DemtHton Company next week.

American Comedies in Sydney. "Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford" continues to draw crowds at the Criterion (Sydney), where it is now probable that the nowAmerican artists might; rim "out the whole of their twelve week.-?' season without a change. Jlr. Fred Xiblo and Miss Jo-pph-inb Cohan have with them a repertoire of strong new pieces, however, and at least ono will probably 1:e stagcd : in preparation for the Australasian tour. ' One of these is "Officer 6GG." a farcical story of New York police life, and another is "Excuse Me," a vivacious comedy, the action of which is carried on in the saloon of a Pullman railway car. The author, Rupert'Hughos, had staged five, failures before a manager reluctantly put on "Excuse Me," with which fortunes were mndo all round. However, the most likely choice for the second string to the managerial bow is- "The Fortune Hunter," by Winchell Smith, part-author of "Bmvster's Millions," which Sir. Niblo has starred in for hundreds of nights...on tour in America. The spendthrift hero iiclibcratcly visits a eountry town, "armed to the teeth" with killing looks and ingratiating , manners, calculated to snare a million-heiress—and ultimately falls in love with a penniless maid! Incidentally, a firm of "legal advisers and divorce outfitters" is introduced! 4

Magnanimous. Says a J.C.W. stage rfote to hand:-: There aro few; stars who are willing to efface, themselves for the- good of tho show liko Fred Niblo, of "Get-Eich-Quick Wallingford." Hβ does not want to get all the "fat" himself, and keep tho other people in the background. Hugh J. Ward was discussing "Excuse Me' in the J. C. Williamson office in Sydney, and asked Niblo if he had seen the piece, and if so, what part he would prefer to play. Mr. Xibln replied: "I'll just play:whatever you think is best for tho piece.". "By Jove," said'the manager; ' "you deserve a halo. 'That's the spirit. Here, dike a scrip and read. it. aud select your own part." And Mr. Xiblo went and consulted Barry L'orson CJarke, and they read it together,

A Comedian's Value. At Birmingham Assizes last month Mr. Justice Horridgo heard an action, brought by tho Birmingham Theatre Jioynl Company, against tho King Insurance Company, Limited, of London, to recover .£550 under a policy of insurance It was stated on behalf of the plaintins that they secured Mr. Wilkie Ban! ior their Christmas pantomime, "Jack and Jill," and insured against the risk oi his non-appearance through ill-health ior 50 performances at .650 for each performance at which he'failed to appear. Mr. Bard suffered from quincey, and was unable to appear at 11 performances. The comedian said his contract with tho theatre was a salary of £22') per week ol eight performances in ".Tack and Jill;, Ho appeared almost directly the curtain went up. and was continually on the stage to the end. . Evidence was called by the plaintiffs to show that the loss caused by Mr. mva s absence was .CSO a night, as every other member of the cast was affected. Judgment was given for the plaintiffs for JJSSO, with costs. Notes.

A tribute was paid to the PlimmerJJenaislon production in Sydney recently by Miss Ethel Irving, tho English actress. In a Sydney interview.- she remarked: "Look at the Australian production of 'Nobody's Daughter. , I am sure a play could not be better staged tlian (hat. The company is an amazingly Rood one,' taken either individually or collectively. I predict a great future for Miss Parkes." ■ And. those .-remarks nave the more point because Miss Irving has not tho reputation of .saving tnings about shows merely because »r,c wishes to be pleasant. The Plimmeruenmston Company is to open in AVellington -in. ".Nobody's Daughter" (br George Paston") on Monday week. ' is chuckling over a fino bit of satire in connection with popular ideas as tOvwhat is right and wrong in productions. When "Improper Peter" was produced at the Garrick a cry went up from an extreme section of the Puritans protesting, against the "suggestiveness of the title. As it happened, there was nothing, indecorous about Peter or anybody or anything in the play, bet tliere ivas a fine chance to score an advertisement, so tho titlo was changed to Proper Peter,"' and the result was packed houses. London "Punch" now suggests that other managements and dramatists might follow suit. "For ' example/' it says, "why not turn 'Bella Donna' into 'Ammoniafed Quinine/ and 'Ben Hur' into 'Ben Him'?"

George S. Titheradge, the distinguished member of the Plimmcr-Denniston Dramatic Company has scored his ereatest triumphs as tho gentle and iovia.r old Abbe Dubois of "A Village Priest," and as thn cynical and hard-hearted Lord Illingworth of "A Woman of-i.o l;!ipctaiice,' two totally opposite cnacucrs. iVo better opportunity of this great f.ctor displaying his wonderful versatility cc •<! bo given him than in these two characters.